Shayla Black, a penname for Shelly Bradley, started her writing career with her first book Sweet Enemy. Published by Kensington Publication Corporation in 1999, Sweet Enemy was a book born of the mass-market paperback era. And, it would be the book that would spark over 40 books, some New York Times and USA Today Best Sellers, in the contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romance categories.

The first follow-up to Sweet Enemy was His Lady Bride: Brothers in Arms. This novel, another mass-market paperback, would be the first series Shayla Black took on. The Brothers in Arms series also went on to become one of Shayla’s more famous series, and arguable, most loved.

His Lady Bride: Brothers in Arms is a historical romance that follows Aric Neville. With the princes of England dead and Richard III on the throne, Aric, a former warrior known as the White Lion, packs his bags after one too many battles to live a solitary life, one where he can find peace.

Lady Gwenyth, the heroine of the story, is forced from her home by her uncle; he had never wanted to have his niece live with him, and because of that, forced her to be a maid for him. At the first chance, he evicted her and gave the local sorcerer an option about what to do with her: the sorcerer could either marry Lady Gwenyth or kill her.

Aric just so happens to be that local sorcerer. He never corrected the villagers when they started to call him a sorcerer, as it let him live a more peaceful, secluded life. But now, that peace is shattered. Unable to watch Lady Gwenyth die, Aric agrees to marry her.

Their marriage does not turn out to be full of bliss and kisses. Lady Gwenyth is not happy with the simple life that Aric has made for himself, even thought he is starting to fall for her and show her affection that she never could have dreamed of before. But, when she finds out that Aric does have titles and land, Lady Gewenyth begins to see him in a different light, one tainted by greed and desire.

Aric, upset by his wife’s love of his money and land, returns to his former warrior ways, both to escape the chaos in his house and aid a former friend. He heads off to war, distraught that the woman he has fallen for seems to only care for his wealth and titles. Aric and Gwenyth, falling more and more for each other, have to work through their differences if true love is to blossom.

His Lady Bride: Brothers in Arms became the stepping-stone for the next book in the series, His Stolen Bride. Book 2 in the Brothers in Arms series follows Aric’s “brother,” Drake.

The novel starts with a battle scene, where the three “brothers,” Aric, Drake, and Kieran are fighting against Drake’s enemies, the Clan Campbell. It isn’t long before Drake watches his father murdered, only to learn that the murderer is none other than his half-brother, Murdoch. But, when Drake is accused of the murder, he must endure torture at Murdoch’s hands until Aric and Kieran can free him.

After escaping, Drake sets out on the path of revenge. He steals Murdoch’s bride to be, Averyl Campbell, a woman that Murdoch needs to marry in order to fully inherit the titles and land bestowed upon him in the will. Drake assumes that it will be easy to stop Averyl from marrying Murdoch, but soon learns that Averyl is determined to marry his half-brother for his money; with money, she can help save her people from starving.

It doesn’t take long before Drake starts to have feelings for Averyl. And, even Averyl begins to feel something for Drake. But, she can’t give in and let her people starve. So begins the tension between the two and the story of whether their love will prevail.

His Stolen Bride takes that same historical feel that worked so well in His Lady Bride: Brothers in Arms, and brings in the tension of love unrequited and needed. This soon became a staple in Shayla Black’s career.

After the success of the Brothers in Arms trilogy, Shayla Black began to diversify her romance stories. From contemporary to paranormal, she branched into genres that gave a new spark to her books, but still held that familiar theme of longing that could not be accepted. It is this long-running theme that sets Shayla Black apart from some of the other romance novelists of her time. Although others jumped into themes, truly struggling to hit a stride, Shayla Black stayed with a deeply impactful theme that jumped genres and generations.

Today, Shayla Black is writing the Wicked Lover series, books that tell a contemporary, sizzling romance story; these stories divert from the Brothers in Arms series in that their content is steeped in more erotic themes and sometimes verge on erotica.

Shayla Black lives in Texas with her husband and cat. During her free time, she indulges in reality TV and, of course, reads.

Her books have been nominated for or received such prestigious awards as the Passionate Plume, the Holt Medallion, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. In addition to this, RT Bookclub has twice nominated Shayla Black for Best Erotic Romance of the year, awarded her with a top picks selection, and given her a KISS Hero Award.

As for the future, it is hard to say with Shayla Black. With a career spanning well over a decade, one that last taken risk after risk, Shayla Black’s trend of writing sizzling romances will most likely continue. But, in what fashion? Will the Wicked Lover series keep bringing spine-tingling delight to readers, or will she trail blaze off on a new path? That remains to be seen, but when considering the wealth of work that Shayla Black has produced over the years, whatever books she writes next will most likely be page turning, naughty delights. Which of course turns out to be one of the best sellers.

With the latest book in the Gray Man series by Mark Greaney coming out soon, we wanted to make the very first book in the series our book of the month.

Greaney is an incredible author and if you love the "lone badass" type of books then you will LOVE the Court "Gray Man" Gentry series. Read more about it.

Featured Series

It might seem like overkill, but we're giving The Gray Man series our featured series of the month.

Honestly this is such a great series and we feel not enough people read it so we want to push it. Read more about The Gray Man series and seriously if you haven't read it - start! Amazing thrillers.

Featured Author

Mark Greaney is an incredibly talented author. Not only does he write the Gray Man series however he also writes various Jack Ryan novels. Many feel he is the best writer of them and he truly is a great author. We're happy to award our author of the month to Mark Greaney.

Did You Know…

Andy McNab was born on 28 December 1959. Found abandoned on the steps of Guy's Hospital in Southwark in a Harrods shopping bag, he was brought up in Peckham, with his adoptive family. He did not do well in school, dropped out and worked at various odd jobs, usually for friends and relatives, and was involved in petty criminality, finally being arrested for burglary in 1976.